Increasing monounsaturated fatty acid (FA) intake is relevant for human health and represents a current concern for consumers, especially considering the 2020-2021 pandemic. Because of this, there is a growing interest in strategies to improve FA profiles and marbling of pork products by enhancing the amounts of monounsaturated FA. New soybean varieties are producing soybean oil with high oleic acid content, which can be included in swine diets to improve FA profile of pork. Therefore, the objective of this project is to evaluate the effects of dietary high oleic soybean oil supplementation and duration on carcass characteristics and meat quality of finishing pigs. A total of 450 twenty-one-week-old growing pigs housed in 90 pens will be arranged in a 2×2+1 factorial design. Experimental diets include two different fat sources (ANI: CON diet including 4% of animal fat and HOSBO: CON diet including 4% of high oleic soybean oil) each provided at one of two feeding durations (2 or 4 weeks before marketing). A corn-based diet without fat inclusion (CON) will be used as the control/standard commercial diet for comparison. Observations will include pig growth performance, carcass characteristics, FA profile in pork carcass, and a consumer sensory evaluation. Validation of the inclusion of high oleic soybean oil in pig diets to improve pork quality will increase the market potential for soy oil inclusion in swine diets, resulting in higher demand for soybeans.

1. Evaluate the impact of soybean oil inclusion level and feeding duration on carcass characteristics of finishing pigs
2. Assess the impact or soybean oil inclusion level and feeding duration on meat quality and eating characteristics of pork

Objective 1
o carcass traits data of finishing pig following dietary fat supplementation
o optimal high oleic oil inclusion period for maximal pork quality
o defined FA concentration in pork from finishing pigs fed high oleic soybean oil


Objective 2
o Defined eating attributes influenced by dietary high oleic soybean oil supplementation

Updated October 26, 2022:

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Updated October 24, 2023:

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Updated October 24, 2023:
All live animal work has been completed; similarly performance and carcass characteristic data analysis is completed. Meat quality analysis is pending completion by collaborators at North Dakota State University.
Overall, late finisher gain efficiency was improved with fat/oil supplementation and the improvement was slightly greater for pigs fed high oleic soybean oil compared to choice white grease. For carcass characteristics, belly weight was increased 6% with fat/oil inclusion in the late finisher phase while loin weight was reduced 4%. Firmness of carcass fat was similarly improved with fat/oil inclusion, regardless of source.

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Updated October 24, 2023:
Outstanding work from the previous report includes meat quality evaluation. A new collaborator at North Dakota State University has been added with particular expertise in this area of investigation related to consumer assessment. A 3 month no-cost extension was granted for this work and will be completed over summer 2023. A final report will be submitted following completion of the meat quality analysis. A portion of the meat quality and sensory panel work was completed 27July23 as noted in the attached report.

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Updated January 16, 2024:
All activities related to objectives and outcomes have been completed. The final report detailing animal response to diet and enhancements to pork quality are included in the attached Final Report.

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Inclusion of fat in late finishing pig diets, regardless of source, benefited pig growth performance and efficiency of feed use and altered the fatty acid composition in pork meat. Further, benefits of added diet fat were observed at both 2 and 4 week feeding time prior to market. Inclusion of fat also increased overall diet cost; however, gains in performance and efficiency helped to offset added diet cost for choice white grease. With respect to meat quality and human health, inclusion of high oleic soybean oil increased beneficial fatty acid content in pork loin and bacon without impacting overall eating experience. Higher diet cost when high oleic soybean oil was used compared to choice white grease meant economic offset of improved pig growth was lesser. Higher pork price may be needed to provide greater economic benefit for routine inclusion of high oleic soybean oil in finishing pig diets.

Overall greater demand for soybean oil for use in livestock diets resulting in greater demand for soybeans in general
- data to support benefit of soybean oil inclusion in swine diets which may also provide the data to arouse interest in including more soybean oil in later phases of other livestock diets.
- evidence to support benefit of specifically high oleic pork for human consumption which increases demand for oil and hence soybeans.
- similarly data can generate interest for production of high oleic meat from other meat animal livestock systems.